This has been a big offseason of changes to NASCAR. For one, this is their logo now (above). For another, there is a new title sponsor. Yes, the Sprint Cup is no more, replaced by something called the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Then there was the shocking news of Carl Edwards calling it quits, after a big wreck ruined his title hopes in the final race of last season. Anyway, even more changes were announced Monday.

NASCAR is now splitting the races up into three segments where the winner of each segment is awarded the most points. The winner of the whole race, of course, gets the most points. Also, they are no longer calling the NASCAR ‘Chase’ the “Chase”; it’s just going to be the “playoffs” from now on. The whole list of changes is here.

People are saying these latest changes are evidence that NASCAR is evolving for the times, and maybe these changes will end up being an improvement on what has gone on recently. But count me as skeptical. Honestly, NASCAR has made way too many changes over the years. It sure seems like NASCAR is bent on copying the approach of the National Hockey League, a league notorious for endless rule changes to try and make the sport more popular than it is.

With NASCAR, it all started with bringing in the “Chase” to try and make their races relevant in the final ten weeks up against the National Football League. Then, they expanded the field from 10 to 16 drivers and rejigged the rules for making the Chase, and broke it up into these multiple elimination rounds, which devalued drivers’ efforts during the course of the whole season. Yet even after all that, we still ended up with Jimmie Johnson winning the Cup, again, last season!

Does anyone else think NASCAR was easier to follow back in the days when the cigarette makers were involved? Things have gone straight to heck ever since Winston left! You can’t keep up with all the changes to the rules, to the title sponsor, and so on. It’s just gimmick after gimmick.